UNDER THE MAPLES 



she has the most. Behold the clouds of pollen from 

 the blooming pines and from the grasses in the 

 meadow. She is less parsimonious with her 

 winged seeds, such as of the maple and the elm, than 

 with her heavy nuts butternuts, hickory-nuts, 

 acorns, beechnuts, and so on. All these depend 

 upon the agency of the birds and squirrels to scat- 

 ter them. She offers them the wage of the sweet 

 kernel, and knows that they will scatter more than 

 they eat. To all creatures that will sow the seeds 

 of her berries she offers the delectable pulp: "Do 

 this chore for me, and you will find the service its 

 own reward." All the wild fruits of the fields and 

 woods hold seeds that must be distributed by ani- 

 mal agency. Even the fiery arum or Indian 

 turnip, tempts some birds to feast upon its red 

 berries, and thus scatter the undigested seeds. 

 The mice and the squirrels doubtless give them a 

 wide berth, but in the crop of the fowl the seeds 

 have the sting taken out of them. You cannot 

 poison a hen with strychnine. 



We ourselves are covetous of those things of 

 which we have but few, extravagant with those of 

 which we have an abundance. When the Western 

 farmer burns corn in place of coal, be assured he 

 sees his own account in it. We husband our white 

 pine, and are free with our hemlock; we are stingy 

 with our hickory, and open-handed with our beech 

 and chestnut. 



